Ruffler for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

B. J. TOOF.

RUFFLER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 410,619. Patented Sept. 10,1889.

I WITNESSES i N PETERS, Phmoumo u gwr, Wnshiaglon, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVIN .I. TOOF, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

RUFFLER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,619, datedSeptember 10, 1889.

Application filed May 29,1882. Serial No. 62,795. (No model.) Patentedin England March 11, 1882, No. 1,194.

To all whom it may con/097 71,.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. TOOF, a eitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of New Haven, State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ruffiing andGathering Attachments for Sewing-Machines, (for which I have obtained apatent in Great Britain, No. 1,194, hearing date March 11, 1882,) ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the drawings, is aspecification.

My invention relates to attachments for sewing-machines adapted toruffle and shirr, which in this instance is provided with a hingedseparator-plate adapted to be thrown out of position when not requiredto serve to separate a plain strip from the strip to be ruffied, so thatshirring may be done with the same attachment; and my improvementconsists, further, in the combination,with said ruffler andsewing-machine, of a plate for covering the feed-dog when shirring is tobe done instead of ruffiing, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth, and specified in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of arufiiing and gathering attachment containing my improvement. Fig. 2represents a gathering attachment, with a plate for covering thefeed-dog of the sewing-machine; Fig. 3, a perspective View of the devicein position for operation upon the sewing-machine.

A is the presser-foot, to and by which the attachment is held inposition for operating; B and C, frame for connecting with thepresser-foot and the post forming a part of the former, to which all ofthe operative parts (with the exception of the plate for covering thefeed-dog) are connected an d held together.

D is a lever, pivoted about centrally to the post C, which post andlever are inclosed by a sliding sleeve H, as shown.

I I are ears forming a part of sleeve H, between which ears the nut orscrew for clamping the needle to the needle-bar of the sewing-machinereciprocates, thereby imparting motion to the carrier E and gathererF,which are secured together.

G is a supplemental spring-presser resting against and acting beneaththe toe of the presser proper by which the attachment is held, all ofwhich parts, as well as their mode of operation, are more fully and indetail set forth in a previous application of mine, Serial No. 51,727,now pending in the United States Patent Office.

J and J is a separator-plate hinged to the frame B at J, which, when tobe used as a means to separate the strip to form the ruffle or gatherfrom the band or strip upon which the gather is to be stitched, willrest in the position shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings at J,or where not in use for the purpose indicated, or when the attachment isto be used for shirring fabrics, the separator may be thrown 01' swungback and out of position, as shown at J" in the drawings,which will thenleave the entire space beneath the arm of the sewing-machine free forthe manipulation of the goods to be operated upon, so as to enable theoperator to shirr the goods at any desirable distance from its edgewhich the space between the arm-post and needle will permit. Thisseparator-plate is substantially the same as those in general use asregards form and its relative position to the feed-dog of the machineand the gatheringblade which acts thereon; but when used in combinationdiffers in manner of connection and mode of operation from the fact thatit is adapted to be thrown out of position,when desired.

I use a guard or plate over the feed-dog of the machine while shirringafter the separator J has been moved out of position to operate,

for the purpose of protecting the gatheringblade from the roughenedsurface of the feed-dog, which plate is clearly shown in the drawings atK, and is adapted to be held upon the cloth-plate of the sewing-machineby screw or other suitable means usually adopted for holding the usualattachment thereon.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. The combination, with a rulfling and shirring attaohm ent forsewing-machines, consisting of a frame, gathering-blade, and0perating-levers adapted to be supportedin position by the presser-barof said machine, of a separator-plate hinged to said frame upon abearing which is at right angles to the line of feed, the saidseparator-plate being thus parallel with and operating in direction withsaid blade, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a ruffling and shirring attachment forsewing-machines, consisting of a supporting-frame adapted to be s:-oured to the presser-bar of said machine, and a gathering-blade operatedby connecting-levers, of a'separator-plate the shank of which forms apart of the same and is hinged to the supporting-frame at one sidethereof to permit the operator to swing said plate from beneath saidblade, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

EDWIN J. :FOOF.

Witnesses: I

JOHN DANE, J12, J os. M. CRANE.

